By Andrea Arens
Jason Kelly wants to change the stigma around tattoos.
A super energetic and down to earth guy, Kelly said, “A tattoo doesn’t have to have a meaning. It can look real pretty, and you can just have it that way. But when you can make it have a meaning, it’s a home run. It’ll never go out of style.”
Kelly loves helping guide people to finding tattoos that mean something special to them.
Originally from Richton Park, Kelly reveled his upbringing on the best block, where there were always games in the street, and it was the attraction to move here. He’s just trying to replicate that “Sandlot” feel for his kids.
Kelly’s no stranger to Peotone; his uncle lived in Peotone near the old Bier Stube, which is now the Firepit Bar and Grill. His family was here for every Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.
Kelly didn’t always know he wanted to be a tattoo artist. He received a scholarship to the American Art Institute of Chicago and didn’t take it because he thought it was only a hobby. “I felt like if I had to do it with a deadline, I’d lose my love for it.”
He went to Eastern Illinois University and graduated with a degree in speech communications, then worked at the Chicago Board of Trade for about six or seven years. He found the losses were too much to bear and was getting a tattoo for himself when he discovered tattooing might be for him.
Kelly was at his second session and brought along a drawing to show his tattooist, Jose Perez. Kelly thought for sure it was the best drawing he had ever done in his life, and Perez marked it up like an English teacher edits an essay. Kelly was stunned but took the lesson to heart.
He went home that night and drew a picture of Freddy Krueger but followed Perez’s advice and was amazed. He brought it to Perez, who took Kelly under his wing. The next day, Kelly quit his job at the board of trade and got flat out of all his options and futures.
Kelly was told he wouldn’t make any money tatooing for the first two years, so he picked up a job bartending at night and tattooing during the day.
Kelly felt like an outcast at first but was super thankful for his apprenticeship and time at Dark Water Studio.
This is Kelly’s first shop on his own. He knew what he wanted to fill his shop with. He watched a lot of coming and going and knew from the start it only took one bad encounter to reflect on the shop.
“If everyone’s working at a shop and bad tattoos walk out of that shop, all it takes is one person to say look at what came out of here and everyone would get labeled that way.”
Kelly wants a small shop. Void of office politics and with artists who have a passion for what they do. He doesn’t want artists looking for a side hustle.
“I want this to be what people live for, and they really want to make a career out of it, and they’re not just looking at it as a bridge to the next job.”
Kelly bought the building last September. He lives upstairs with his wife and two children. When he first put an offer on the building at 108 N. Second Street in Peotone, Village Administrator Aimee Ingalls contacted him and told him he couldn’t tattoo in town because of an old ordinance outlawing tattooing. Kelly didn’t even know the village had updated the ordinance, and if he hadn’t been coaching his son’s football team, he would’ve attended.
“I wish I could’ve gone. I wish I could’ve gone because maybe I could’ve spoke for two minutes and showed the people my work. I’m not a pick it and stick it kind of guy. I like to do big pieces, artful pieces, thoughtful pieces; stuff that mean something to people.”
Kelly has renovated the entire building himself. His wife, and two children live upstairs. He’s put a lot into renovating the space and making it his own. He repurposed a lot of wood and made the space very inviting.
Kelly prides himself that he has never lost a client. His art is proof.
Although, he admitted he isn’t the best at returning calls, he said, “When you’re here, you’re getting 100 percent of my time. I want my clients to know their money is respected.”
Kelly is looking to hire but he definitely wants to hire the right person. He wants artists passionate about their craft. Kelly would rather have someone walk out then get a tattoo they didn’t love, and he wants artists who feel the same way he does.
Kelly is committed to the community, too. He has a couple of designs for a mural on the side of his building. As he said, “a way for him to put his imprint on this town.” The brick has to be tuckpointed first but his ideas include the windmill, the village name, and something that would completely embrace the feel of the town.
“I love it here. I love being here. I hope I can be a part of this town and part of the growth, and be here for a very long time.”